Sorby Ornithology Section was formed in 1946 by Mr L. Carr and has been continuously active ever since without a break. For many years it was the only organisation in Sheffield catering for birdwatchers, and amongst other things jointly organised the annual RSPB Film Show. In 1972 when the Sheffield Bird Study Group was formed as an independent organisation, Sorby Ornithology Section almost folded, but members voted to keep it going.

Nowadays the Sorby Ornithology Section co-ordinates activities for members interested in birds, bird watching, ornithology, and bird surveys, and aims to cater for all levels of experience.

Field trips are organised to known good bird sites for members to enjoy a range of species. Also visits are made to poorly known sites to gather bird records. Novice or inexperienced birders can usually find a helping hand at most meetings.

Lectures and slide shows are arranged during the winter months.

Recording – Members are encouraged to send in their records of birds to the Sorby Ornithology Recorder who maintains a detailed database using RECORDER software. The database has over 400,000 records, many accompanied by details of habitat associations.

The database is available for members to consult (by appointment with the Recorder) for their personal research.

Papers on various aspects of ornithology are published in the Sorby Record. A selection can be downloaded free of change from our reports page.